West Somerset Railway General Discussion

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #66

Watchet 1962 / 2017

A 3-car unit trundles into Watchet bound for Minehead. Some interesting detail. The original B&E wrought iron lamp square survives on the near corner of the building but has been used to supports a Sugg gas lamp. One poster advertises Rail Rovers but I can't quite make out the other.

As stated before, a little more tidying up and Watchet will be s very creditable restoration under current stewardship.

1962


2017

 

I'll see what I can do and PM you.

 

I think I can just about see:

..........
Take
Her
By
Train
........
And
Save

???

 

Yes, that confirms what I thought. I have a number of posters from that era but not that one. I wonder if anyone can fill in the blanks?

 

Universally positive. The feedback from the public had a common theme in that the organisation was superb.

With Braveheart turning up at the gala, will King Edward 1 be renamed "Longshanks" ? It is rumoured that Dunster will be renamed "Stirling Bridge" and Minehead will become "Bannockburn" for the weekend.

 

I think the last word is SAVE.

 

Thank you , I do believe some liquorice root might be found close by also .

 

That and the Rhubarb should keep you going...........

 

I'd suggest, as Robin noted, that we need to see the numbers. It was a very well organised event for sure and very professionally executed. Some suggestion that local business did not do as well as they had hoped. I am sure we'll hear the details from the company at some point.

 

Where will Culloden be?

 

You will need wait and see the annual accounts of the WSR PLC in due course. I don't see how the PLC can be expected to publish anything detailed regarding about how the local businesses did as that would be purely hearsay. Coment by Paul Conibeare in the West Somerset Free Press

http://www.wsfp.co.uk/article.cfm?i...onderful week’&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017

 

The Triangle?.......

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now # 67

Watchet 1935 / 2017

A similar shot to yesterday, this time taken on the track looking back at the station. At this date the oil lamp survives on the near corner of the station building. The poster board advertises (on the left) 'Railway Air Services'. The poster on the right is indistinct, but enough is discernible that officionados of GWR posters might be able to help identify it?

1935


2017

 

As you say the accounts will tell the story as far as the plc are concerned. I don't recall saying the plc should find out the impact on local business due to the event. What I do recall suggesting is that local business was generally hoping for a boost from the visit. The railway is a tourist attraction so one might have hoped a major event like Scotsman would have given a boost to the local economy. I am sure the matter will crop up somewhere, perhaps at the next PDG meeting? Anyway we shall see in due course.

 

Can/has any attempt been made to measure the impact of WSR Special Events on the local economy?

 

The point I was trying to make about the effect on the local economy will always be guesswork as nobody knows what local business's ambitions were. or how much those were met. Extrapolating from what a few local buinesse may have said is pointless. The bottom line, no pun intended, is that it is likely that the FS will have brought extra revenue, but also some, like myself, will have avoided the crowds.

 

Probably positive but impossible to quantify.

 

I agree it's nebulous and very difficult to do for a single event. Some years ago the now-defunct Advantage West Midlands put a value on the SVR's total contribution to the local economy. It would be Local Enterprise Partnerships now I guess. The SVR also published its results in November 2016 from its Pacific Power event but that was of course not a wider ecnomic value. I once was told that a pound spent locally went round the local economy five times, so probably someone could come up with an indication?

Patrick

 

Many business are not always forthcoming when announcing good takings, just in case the Tax Man is listening . This can apply to those businesses with a side drawer in the till.

 

Not impossible but unlikely to be quantified.
Sorry to be pedantic